The food preferences of the Baby Boomer generation are the healthiest, according to new research from Australian market research organisation, Roy Morgan Research. The Baby Boomer generation covers those Australians born in the post-World-War-Two period from 1945 to 1960. In a marked preference for healthier food options, 76 per cent of Baby Boomers in Australia preferring to eat salads, 69 per cent sandwiches, and 65 per cent soups. Pre-Boomers also showed a clear preference for healthier options,... ...Read more »

Australian-owned and operated Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Ltd will close all its stores across Australia for an hour on Saturday 9 March 2013 for specialised training. Domino’s are remaining mum about exactly what the training will be, but say the move is “the first step in the making of something big”. “What we are planning and training for is the biggest initiative we’ve launched in years and in order for us to meet this challenge, set the bar high and get it right – this closure needs... ...Read more »

For many forecasters of 2013 predictions, there is a predicted focus on vegetables and healthier meals, in line with on-going global concerns regarding obesity. Some groups have predicted that restaurants and chefs will take on the responsibility of providing healthier options, but others have predicted that consumers will be seeking out their own healthier alternatives, or what they perceive to be more “natural” (which they also associate with “healthiness”). Aside from “health”... ...Read more »

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Pizza Hut, one of Australia’s largest pizza franchises, has incorporated a new hot dog crust into its menu. Launched on December 4 2012, following a successful trial in the UK and Canada, Australian fast-food lovers can now enjoy a hot dog and a pizza in one meal. Available on any pizza, the hot dog inserted into the crust also comes with mustard and tomato sauce for the “full hot dog effect.” Pizza Hut Australia’s head of marketing Anup Jain... ...Read more »

The highest proportion of Australians to visit fast food restaurants during 2011 were aged between 35 and 49 years old, according to market research company Roy Morgan Research. The figures come from a survey of 18,641 Australians aged over 14-years-old, undertaken by Roy Morgan Research during 2011. Over the twelve months to December 2011, the 35-49 year age group accounted for 67 per cent of respondents who said they had visited or purchased from a fast food restaurant in an average four week period. The... ...Read more »

Just looking at images of food can change our taste experience, according to new Swiss research published yesterday in the open access journal PLoS ONE. The authors of the study, led by Johannes le Coutre of the Nestlé Research Center in Switzerland, recruited fourteen healthy participants (nine males), aged between 22 and 30 years old for the study. The researchers conducted neuro-imaging studies that identified previously unknown brain mechanisms of visual-gustatory sensory interactions involved... ...Read more »

  One of the world’s largest pizza chains, Domino’s, has announced strong results for the fourth quarter and fiscal 2011, each ended 1 January 2012.Domestic same store sales grew 6.8 per cent during the fourth quarter versus the year-ago period, and 3.5 per cent for the full year, indicating sustained improvement in the company’s domestic business.  Domino’s international business also posted strong results with same store sales growth of 4.7 per cent for the quarter,... ...Read more »

One of Australia’s largest food retail companies, Retail Food Group, has acquired Pizza Capers, marking its entry into the Quick Service Restaurant sector. Retail Food Group announced on Tuesday that it had entered an agreement to acquire Pizza Capers, which currently owns 110 franchised outlets in Australia. The company is currently the intellectual property owner, franchisor and manager of the Donut King, Michel’s Patisserie, Brumby’s Bakeries, bb’s cafe, Esquires Coffee Houses and Big... ...Read more »

The Fair Work Ombudsman will prosecute the operators of an Eagle Boys pizza outlet in regional New South Wales for allegedly paying its employees just AU$9 an hour. Facing court is Stacborn Pty Ltd, which runs an Eagle Boys franchise at Cessnock. Court documents allege the company underpaid 17 delivery drivers and two shop assistants a total of AU$48,905 between October, 2008 and June, 2010. Five of the staff were under 18 at the time. The delivery drivers were allegedly paid a flat rate of AU$9... ...Read more »

Concerns continue to arise about the administration of food safety enforcement in the State of Victoria. Australian Food News recently reported (21 December 2011) the calls made for an official investigation into poor food safety administration by the Victorian government.  In the article, Managing Principal of food-specialist law firm FoodLegal, Joe Lederman, stated that there was a “serious lack of co-ordination” in Victoria that had resulted in “every council seemingly doing its own thing”... ...Read more »